Witchcraft and Witches in the Early Modern Atlantic World, 7.5 Credits

Contents

The course Witches and Witchcraft in the Early Modern Atlantic World explores the social and cultural history of witches and witchcraft in Europe and in the United States from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. The early modern witch hunt has puzzled historians for decades. Why were more than 40,000 women and men executed for a fictitious crime, a crime that was imagined to be a combination of devil worship, cannibalism and sodomy? Why did the persecution of witches flare up in the period of the Renaissance and thrive during the Scientific Revolution? How can we understand and explain this witch craze? This course will explore these questions and the wide range of methodological approaches that have been used to answer them, such as gender theory, anthropology and psychoanalysis. Students will be encouraged to engage with these approaches critically. A selection of primary sources, such as witchcraft trials, will allow them to study the witch craze first-hand.

Expected learning outcomes

After having completed the course the students will demonstrate:

Knowledge and understanding:
*    A thorough knowledge about the history of witches and witchcraft in early modern Europe and North America.
* A detailed understanding of early modern witchcraft beliefs and persecutions, at both the popular and elite level, and the wider social, political, and religious factors that encouraged witch hunts.
*    A thorough knowledge of the social, economic, cultural and religious developments of Early Modern Europe and North America as well as a wider perspective recognizing the political, economic and cultural interdependence of differing societies and people, encouraging a more inclusive view of the human experience.
* A thorough knowledge of how key concepts such as gender, sex, occultism, beliefs, magic, and demonology, have been defined in this field and how these definitions have been disputed and applied in this field.

Skills and abilities:
*    An ability to explain and critique the historical schools of thought that have shaped scholarly understanding of witches and witchcraft history, as well as to identify different approaches to historiography and interpretation in the academic study of magic and witchcraft.
* An ability to study and dissect a range of primary source documents to shed light on the versatility of the figure of the witch, the intellectual and cultural foundations of a belief in witchcraft and witches, and the interpersonal dynamics that led to specific accusations of witchcraft.
*    An ability to discuss and assess different justifications, key concepts (such as gender, sex, occultism, beliefs, magic, and demonology), and arguments for describing people's experiences pertaining to witchcraft.
*    An ability to formulate these learning outcomes clearly in speech and writing.
*    An ability to deploy skills of critical analysis

Assessment and attitude:
*    An ability to independently formulate and analyze a scholarly problem in relation to the broader topic of the course.

Required Knowledge

90 ECTS courses in history, history of science and ideas, economic history, or a Bachelors degree (180 ECTS), or the equivalent. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English A (IELTS (Academic) with a minimum overall score of 5.5 and no individual score below 5.0. TOEFL PBT (Paper-based Test) with a minimum total score of 530 and a minimum TWE score of 4. TOEFL iBT (Internet-based Test) with a minimum total score of 72 and a minimum score of 17 on the Writing Section). Where the language of instruction is Swedish, applicants must prove proficiency in Swedish to the level required for basic eligibility for higher studies.

Form of instruction

Self-governed reading and analysis of the course literature, structured and managed around reading guidelines, online lectures, study queries and written assignments, which will be made available through the course's web-based learning platform.

Students are required to have access to a computer and a stable internet connection.

Examination modes

The course is examined by written assignments and oral presentations from each student. Assignments are written in English.
 
Overall grades are given as Fail (U), Pass (G), or Pass with Distinction (VG). In order to pass the course as a whole, all mandatory parts must also be completed and passed The final grade of the course is an average of the results in each part, decided only after all mandatory parts have been completed and passed. A student who has passed an examination may not re-take the exam.
 
For those students who do not pass the regular examination there is an opportunity to take the examination within two months and a third opportunity within a year. 
 
A student who has failed two examinations for a course or segment of a course, has the right to have another examiner appointed. Requests for new examiners are made to the Faculty director of studies at Faculty of Arts, Dean's Office.